New Omnipod PDM

Yes!

Pic by Diatribe!

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So this is not making me happy, at some point it probably will.

But I’m thinking of a friend in her 50’s that has never gotten a smart phone yet and doesn’t want one. Her husband is a tech expert, but she has never wanted one. My sister in her 60’s doesn’t even have a mobile phone, she just has never wanted one although lately she has finally mentioned she might. My mother in law in her 80’s just has a flip phone and has no interest in changing it. There are people out there that just don’t want to learn a smartphones technology

But I am thinking of all the older people generally, and that the Omnipod was just ok’d for medicare that don’t use smartphones. So hopefully they understand this and keep making the “old ones” to replace any that break.

I bet it supplies more and easier information and programming, so if they link it to an iphone I might want to switch. Everything on one device might be kind of nice. I haven’t figured that out yet.And I gather it’s on an unusable (crippled) Android phone so right now it’s just instead of a PDM? Hmmm

I just started in May with training. The rep said many people are going to want to stay with the older PDM because of the built in meter. I like the current PDM, and have a stash since someone gave me two more, so I hope to stay with it. With the Medicare acceptance and all that going on, I sure wish the price for the old pods would go down. I would love for them to be considered pharmacy, and not DME. My biggest worry is not being able to pay for them now that I like them so much.

The Omnipod has literally changed my life for the better. There is no discounting that fact. Upgrading the PDM is a plus - I get it, but I am very unhappy that they could not find the technology in 2018 to let me use my own phone, and not to be forced to carry another one. I’d rather keep the 1990’s looking PDM for now. I have to carry my regular phone, plus my stupid work phone, and now a 3rd? Not impressed, not happy, and really disappointed. Sorry folks, but this is a step backwards. Does not even have a meter.

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??? Not understanding you preferring Omnipod to be covered under Pharmacy instead of under DME. Don’t know your age, etc but I’m on Medicare and under Part B (DME) I obtain my Insulin and test strips covered completely. As I understand it Omnipods are only covered under Pharmacy and, in my own case, is very costly. Should it be covered under Part B I’d be very happy.

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Not eligible for Medicare yet. A few more years. But my HMO is charging under DME. I had to pay $295 for the first box, need to pay another large amount for the next box and then pods will cost me $88.50 per box until January. Heaven knows what will happen then because we have to renew our plan. My DME this year is 30 percent, and our deductible is $500 for each of us. Hubby met his, I have not.

Whoa whoa whoa.
Ok so I did not know omnipod was working on this kind of upgrade.
I like the more modern interface, kinda t-slim-looking-ish, but I don’t like that I’d still have to carry a separate meter. And I’m not sure I like the idea of using my phone for diabetes management to begin with either (also considering whether to upgrade to a Dexcom G6 this year). Like, phones crash! They get dropped & break! Systems updates slow things down! Why would I want to mix my blood sugar numbers in with that? And why would I want another device to carry that looks like my phone but is just a readout for my insulin management?
Tell me that’s not going to be confusing for EMT’s in an emergency?
I dunno. I don’t like it at all.

Maybe if enough of us choose to stick with the old system they’ll have to scrap this new one & rethink the design.

I like the ability to be able to view the screen when outside! My current pdm cannot be viewed even with cloud coverage. It’s been a real problem. I have to carry around a towel or something just to view the screen.

My concern with the new version is that all the work done at the DIY group openaps for omnipod will not transfer with omnipod’s new Bluetooth protocol. :frowning:

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On the old PDM, push down the ? mark to brighten the screen.

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Wow, thanks, I didn’t know this!

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The biggest bummer of this new system is the lack of meter integration. Just bummer, bummer, bummer. Seems like going backwards in order to go forward, which would be more tolerable if the steps forward weren’t so painstakingly slow.

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Years ago, I called and emailed them over and over, when I heard about this decision and it was still in the works. Told them what a bad idea this was. I talked to so many of their people, tried to get as high up the ladder as I could.

That’s what happens when a company has a bunch of non-D’s making decisions.

I looked through their board of directors. I don’t see any T1’s in there. I know the guy who started it was T1, but didn’t see any mention of it among their current board.

Makes a big difference.

Wow, you were a Senior VP of a major insurance company, or on the Board of Trustees of Joslin Diabetes, or a CEO of a pharmaceutical corporation. Great! But have you ever had to check your BG at 4am, or had to bolus when driving in the dark?

Put some real-world on your board.

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Could you please share info on the DYI Omnipod ? TIA

While I really love the integration feature, and it was a big selling point when OmniPod was first introduced, I think the choice was between keeping integration and taking steps to get closer to a loopable system by using the locked android device as a step before an unlocked device. If I’m recalling this correctly, I understand why they made the choice that they did. But perhaps this is an interpretation of information on my part that isn’t entirely accurate.

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Eventually I am sure the goal is an actual phone you can bolus from. All of that sounds great.

But there are a lot of challenges to that. What happens if you receive a call during a bolus? Does using the diabetes app automatically and temporarily disable phone functionality and put it into airplane mode?

Also there are so many different versions out there. If it was on an actual phone, in order to get it approved would they need to test on all the different versions?

What about other apps on the phone? What if one app interferes with the bluetooth of the diabetes app?

Or if someone accidentally deletes their app?

The locked version of the Android is much easier for the company to support and get FDA clearance for than putting it on an unlocked and actual phone.

It all sound great to be able to do it. But the whole thing is tough. The locked down version is much easier for them.

I would not mind having one single dedicated diabetes device that did it all - insulin management (bolus and basal), BG testing, and CGM. If it wasn’t a phone, I wouldn’t care.

As it is now, when people leave the house they have phone (which includes CGM for most people), BG meter, and some pump or pen device.

Surprising that not a single pump company has yet to integrate all 3 into a single device.

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Here is the openaps link:

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I think that is what Bigfoot is trying to do.

I know they will talk with each other, but from looking at the picture, it seems there are still a lot of different pieces of hardware. :confused:

Hey are you type 1 or 2? I’m T2 and looking to get to use the pharmacy benefit for omnipod as Medicare won’t pay for T2 pump on part B that’s why some like it on pharmacy